Fire-arm



G- F. KRIEGER.

PIRE ARM.

Patented Aug. 23, l887.

- (No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

GEOEGE E. KEIEGEE, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

FIRE-ARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 368,924, dated August 23, 1887.

Application filed April 2S, 1887. Serial No. 236,473. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, GEORGE F. KRIEGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fire-Arms, of which the following is a specification.,-

My invention relates to fire-arms and the.

purpose thereof is to provide a shotgun or rifle with a group of shotprojecting tubes having accurate parallelism and all communicating at the rear with a suitably-constructed shell-chamber, whereby the impulse of the charge is` communicated simultaneously to each of the shot-tubes.

It is also my purpose to improve the construction of multiple barrels of this kind, by which a perfectly parallel alignment is secured without the necessity of special mechanism by which the shot-tubes are formed.

The invention consists in the several novel features of construction and new combinations of parts hereinafter fully set forth, and definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse section, and Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section,of agun-barrel which contains my invention. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the shell-chamber of Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively a cross-section and a central longitudinal section .of a gun-barrel,showing a modified form. Fig. 6 is a section of Fig. 5 on the line 6 6. Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 are crosssections and longitudinal sections of two different forms of cartridges. Fig. 11 is a partial section showing the shell loaded with shot in place of bullets. Figs. 12 and 13 are respectively an edge and plan orface view of the wad used in the cartridge. Figs. 14 and l5 are crossscctions of gun-barrels, showing different constructions, but both formed in accordance with Iny improved method of alignment.

In the said drawings, the reference-numeral 1 denotes the gun-barrel,formed,preferably,by` the method of construction hereinafter set forth. The barrel contains or consists of a group of Separate barrels,2, having equal diameter, and in the rear end of the barrel is a shell-chamber, 3, formed by boring out the breech and shrinking in a metal cylinder, 4, having an interior which is polygonal in cross-section, the number of sides being proportioned to the number of barrels or bores 2.

I have shown in the drawings a gun having a group of seven barrels, and in Figs. 5 and 6 a group of three barrels only, the diameter of the latter being such as to adapt them to the use of bullets, for which purpose the barrels are provided with a rifle-twist, 5.

The numeral 6 denotes the shell used with the shotgun having seven barrels. This shell is polygonal in cross-section, to accurately fit the shell-chamber 4, its length being such that when its flanged head 7 lies in the countersunk end 8 of the breech its other end will abut against the open rear extremities of the barrels.

The shell is divided into a powder chamber, 6, which lies just in front of the head 7, and a group of shottubes,9 which must correspond in number, diameter, and arrangement with the shot-barrels 2, or with the riiied barrels when the latter are used. Each charge of shot 1() is coniined by a wad, 11, of felt or other suitable material, placed between the load and the powder. Holding the load is a wad, 12. (Shown in Figs. 12 and 13.) This wad is composed of a metal disk having cuts 13, running inward from its edge, said disk being combined with a thin cardboard disk, 14. When inserted in the barrels, these wads are outwardly convexed, as shown in Fig. 11, and their elasticity not only holds them firmly in place, but when discharged they act as scrapers upon the wall of the tube. The polygonal form of the shell outwardly affords a convenient means whereby the shot-tubes 9 may be caused to register accurately with the barrels 2. I Inay, however, construct the shells differently and secure the same result in other ways.

I have shown a hexagonal shell and a triangular; but I may use an octagonal body,or any polygonal shape, provided the polygonal be regular.

As a preferable method of manufacturing the gun-barrels shown, I construct them of two parts-an outer barrel, 14, and an inner core, 15, the latter being round or polygonal in cross-section, as shown.

IOO

follows: I first form in the core a central bore, 2, and after being perfectly straightened to line, I mill in its exterior surface six equidistant slots, 2", from which the other bores are formed. This enables me to secure a perfect alignment of each of the six from the central one, and insures absolutely accurate aligning. After the core is finished it may be shrunk into the barrel 14, or the two may be united in any suitable manner. v

By my invention it will be seen that anumber of separate loads of either small shot or bullets may be discharged by a single charge of powder, each load being carried by'a separate barrel.

I may form the group of barrels by making each tube separately, arranging them in a gang within the outer barrel, and lling in the interspaces by any suitable metal in a molten state.

When the barrel is finished, by boring the core 15, milling the slots 2", and then shrinking or welding the core into the outer barrel, the said slots are then bored out to exactly the proportions of the central bore, 2.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is---.

. 1. A gun-barrel composed of a group of lseparate shot-tubes having similar diameters and cylinder having in one end a group of tubes for containing the shot and in rear of said tubes a powder-chamber common to all, substantially as described.

3. A gun-barrel consisting of the external hollow shell and a core having a central bore and a series of bores formed in and around its external surface, said core being arranged within and joined to .and covered by the external shell, substantially as described.

4. A gun-barrel consisting of an outer shell and a separate inner core shrunk thereinto, and having a series of aligned bores of uniform diameter formed directly in and around its surface which is nextthe outer shell, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE F. KRIEGER.

Witnesses:

AUG. SOHULZE, WM. L. GARDNER. 

